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Marvin the Martian

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Marvin the Martian
Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies character
First appearanceHaredevil Hare (July 24, 1948; 76 years ago (1948-07-24))
Created byChuck Jones
Voiced by
In-universe information
AliasMarvin Martian
SpeciesMartian
GenderMale
FamilyMarcia (niece)
HomeMars
PetsK-9 (alien dog)

Marvin the Martian is an extraterrestrial character from the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series. He frequently appears as a villain in cartoons and video games, and wears a Roman soldier's helmet and skirt. The character has been voiced by Mel Blanc, Joe Alaskey, Bob Bergen and Eric Bauza, among others.

The character first appeared as an antagonist in the 1948 Bugs Bunny cartoon Haredevil Hare.[1] He went on to appear in four more cartoons produced between 1952 and 1963.[2]

Conception and creation

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Marvin's design was based on the Hoplite style of armor usually worn by the Roman god Mars. "That was the uniform that Mars wore — that helmet and skirt. We thought putting it on this ant-like creature might be funny. But since he had no mouth, we had to convey that he was speaking totally through his movements. It demanded a kind of expressive body mechanics."[3]

Marvin was never named in the original shorts – he was referred to as the Commander of Flying Saucer X-2 in The Hasty Hare in 1952, and sometimes referred to as "Antwerp" in promotional material or other projects like the live stage show version of Bugs Bunny in Space. However, in 1979, once the character attracted merchandising interest, the name "Marvin" was selected for The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie.[4]

Marvin appeared in five theatrical cartoons from 1948 to 1963:

Voice actors

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History

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Further information: List of Marvin the Martian cartoons

Marvin hails from the planet Mars, but is often found elsewhere. He is often accompanied by his dog "K-9", and sometimes by other creatures (one gag, first used in Hare-Way to the Stars (1958), being candy-sized "Instant Martians" that become full-size on addition of drops of water).

Marvin wears a Roman soldier's uniform, with basketball shoes resembling the Chuck Taylor All-Stars brand. The helmet and skirt that he wears are green and his suit is red (in a few of the original shorts, his suit was green and the helmet and skirt golden). His head is a black sphere with only eyes for features. The curved crest of his helmet appears, with the push-broom-like upper section, to comically resemble the helm of an ancient Greek hoplite, or the galea of a Roman centurion. The appearance of the combination of Marvin's head and helmet led to Bugs Bunny referring to him as a "bowling ball wearing a spittoon" in one short. Marvin speaks with a soft, nasally voice, and often speaks technobabble. He is also known for his trademark quotes "Where's the kaboom? There was supposed to be an Earth-shattering kaboom!", "Isn't that lovely?", and "This makes me very angry, very angry indeed." (which is usually followed by him huffing and puffing). His voice sounds similar to the one used for Claude Cat.

On numerous occasions, Marvin has tried to destroy the Earth with his "Illudium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator" (sometimes pronounced "Illudium Pu-36" or "Uranium Pu-36").[39] The original reference to "Uranium Pu-36" was changed to "Illudium PU-36" in subsequent cartoons. The "Pu" is a reference to plutonium. Marvin always laboriously over-pronounces the name of the device, which resembles a stick of dynamite, in order to avoid any possibility of confusing it with some other similar form of explosive technology.[40] Marvin attempts to destroy the Earth because, he reasons, "it obstructs my view of Venus"; he has been trying to destroy the Earth for more than two millennia, suggesting that members of his species, and possibly Martian creatures in general, have extremely long lifespans. Marvin is consistently foiled by Bugs Bunny. He has battled for space territory, Planet X, with Daffy Duck, a.k.a. Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century.

Later appearances

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He has appeared in three animated shows - as a toddler in Baby Looney Tunes, as a primary antagonist in the Duck Dodgers television series and as a supporting character in The Looney Tunes Show.

  • In Baby Looney Tunes, Baby Marvin shares a lot of similarities with his adult counterpart. His helmet, however, sports a propeller rather than a push-broom. Also, his shoes are smaller in proportion. He appears in the episode entitled War of the Weirds as a visitor to Granny's house. Throughout most of the episode, he is nonverbal as he is too shy to talk to the babies; he fidgets and mumbles when Baby Bugs and Baby Taz try to talk to him. He tries to make friends, but he is shunned and ridiculed by the babies (except for Baby Taz) for being "weird". The babies still shun and play tricks on him, until he cries. Baby Taz courageously befriends him and speaks on his behalf. He fixes Baby Bugs' broken toy rocket and is able to talk when Baby Bugs offered to play his toy. The babies feel guilty for being unfriendly and they eventually befriend him. He is mainly featured in the song Oh Where Has My Martian Gone? (based on the children's song "Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone?"), and made appearances in a few other music videos.
  • In Duck Dodgers, he is a Martian commander in service of the Martian Queen Tyr'ahnee. This show reused his original name from The Hasty Hare (although the opening credits list him as Marvin playing Commander X-2, in the same way as Daffy is playing Duck Dodgers).
  • Marvin the Martian appears in The Looney Tunes Show episode "Reunion" and appeared in the "Merrie Melodies" short "I'm a Martian", voiced by Eric Bauza. Here, he is described as a former classmate of Daffy's who has been plotting to destroy Earth since graduation. The episode also has a flashback, in which it is revealed that the yellow headdress on the top of his helmet is actually his hair, showing that in high school (before he started wearing the helmet) he kept it down.

Over a decade prior to any of these, he guest-starred in a Tiny Toon Adventures segment titled "Duck Dodgers Jr.", where he was accompanied by an apprentice named Marcia the Martian.

He was also in a Taz-Mania episode "The Man from M.A.R.S." and had a cameo appearance in The Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries ("What's the Frequency, Kitty?").

Marvin also made appearances on Animaniacs, notably in the Mindy and Buttons short subject, "Cat on a Hot Steel Beam" (which also featured the cute kitten Pussyfoot) and in "Star Warners", along with his dog K-9, and most recently in a MetLife commercial.

Cartoon Network also created a 2-minute filler piece featuring Marvin, entitled "Mars Forever" by Fantastic Plastic Machine. It's a disco-style video combining clips of Marvin and Bugs Bunny from their encounters in "Haredevil Hare", "Hare-Way to the Stars", as well as bits of "Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century" and "Rocket-Bye Baby".

Marvin has also appeared in a number of video games. He served as the main antagonist in the Genesis video games Taz in Escape from Mars and Bugs Bunny in Double Trouble, the Super NES game Daffy Duck: The Marvin Missions, and the Game Boy Color game Looney Tunes Collector: Alert!. He also appeared in Bugs Bunny: Lost in Time for the PlayStation where he was the boss of Dimension X, and in the final level of Sheep, Dog, 'n' Wolf. He is also a recurring enemy in the Quantum Beep stages of Road Runner's Death Valley Rally for Super NES. He also was an enemy in Looney Tunes: Back in Action. He is also a playable character in Looney Tunes: Space Race, Looney Tunes: Marvin Strikes Back! Looney Tunes: Acme Arsenal, and MultiVersus.

Marvin was also cast as the referee in Space Jam (though he did not stay to referee the whole game due to Bupkus beating him up), and then later had a major role in Looney Tunes: Back in Action where he was hired by the ACME chairman (Steve Martin), to finish DJ (Brendan Fraser) and the gang at Area 52. In the film's climax, he reappears to bring the Blue Monkey diamond to the ACME satellite, but is thwarted by Bugs (who he duels in a parody of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jango Fett in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones) and Daffy (who arrives as Duck Dodgers to save Bugs after he is exhausted from the battle).

Marvin appeared in the Looney Tunes version of A Christmas Carol, Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas as an employee at Daffy Duck's "Lucky Duck Super Store". Marvin was homesick for his planet, Mars, and wanted to go back for Christmas (but also mentions that he is planning to destroy the Earth as well). At first, Daffy does not let him take Christmas off, since he expects the employees to work on Christmas Day. After being visited by the abrasive yet well-intentioned Christmas ghosts, Daffy is redeemed, and as part of a surprise Christmas celebration, gives Marvin a rocket that will go faster than the speed of light, allowing him to make it to Mars by yesterday.

Marvin is the main antagonist in Looney Tunes: Rabbits Run. In the film, he plots to turn the Earth invisible and sends his henchman Cecil Turtle (who posed as a government agent) and a pair of disguised Instant Martians to get Lola Bunny's perfume which is able to turn anything invisible. However, his plan is fooled by Bugs Bunny, who gets Marvin to accidentally destroying his lair (and Mars as a whole).

In nearly all of his appearances, Marvin is shown using a raygun that fires either bubbles of pliable plastic or energy beams, and he is seen in Duck Dodgers and the Return of the 24½th Century, with Gossamer, a hairy red monster, as his assistant.

Marvin made a brief cameo in the 2003–2007 CN Fridays intro.

Marvin's descendant Melvin (voiced by Joe Alaskey) appeared as a one-time antagonist in Loonatics Unleashed.

Marvin is a minor character in Space Jam: A New Legacy, voiced by Eric Bauza, where he appears alongside K-9 after Bugs claims Tune World in the name of the Earth. Marvin arrives to claim Tune World in the name of Mars, though Bugs tricks him into thinking that Tune World is in the clear. Bugs hijacks Marvin's ship and retreats with LeBron James to find the other Tunes. A recurring gag is that Marvin gets knocked out by the hatch of his ship everytime he regains consciousness.

Marvin appears in the preschool series Bugs Bunny Builders, debuting in the episode Blast Off.

Marvin appears as a playable character in the video game Multiversus as a projectile based character who uses his rayguns and a Martian ship that fires rockets.

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The launch patch for the Spirit Mars Rover, featuring Marvin the Martian.

Cancelled film adaptation

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On July 29, 2008, Warner Bros. and Alcon Entertainment announced plans for a live action/animated film starring Mike Myers as the voice of Marvin and Christopher Lee as Santa Claus. The film would have involved Marvin trying to destroy the Earth during Christmas by becoming a competitor of Santa Claus but being prevented from accomplishing his goal when Santa wraps him inside a gift box. Alcon compared the project to other films such as Racing Stripes and My Dog Skip.[49] It was initially scheduled for an October 7, 2011, release, but the movie was later taken off the schedule and no word on it has been heard since. Test footage of the film and the Eddie Murphy vehicle Hong Kong Phooey was leaked on December 28, 2012.[50]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989). Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 187. ISBN 0-8050-0894-2.
  2. ^ Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. p. 103. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  3. ^ Korkis, Jim. "The Return of Duck Dodgers". Outré. 1 (7): 25.
  4. ^ Miller, Thomas Kent. Mars in the Movies: A History. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2016. ISBN 978-0-7864-9914-4. p. 134
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Voice(s) of Marvin the Martian". Behind the Voice Actors. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  6. ^ "The Further Adventures of Marvin the Martian (1984 Scanimate Short)". YouTube. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
  7. ^ "Bugs & Friends Sing Elvis". VGMdb. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
  8. ^ "Various – Crash! Bang! Boom! The Best Of WB Sound FX (2000, CD)". Discogs. August 15, 2000. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  9. ^ "Interview with voice actor Hal Rayle". YouTube. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
  10. ^ "Bugs Bunny: Rabbit Rampage". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  11. ^ "Acme Animation Factory". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  12. ^ "Bugs Bunny Wacky World Games". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  13. ^ "Looney Tunes B-Ball". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  14. ^ "Tazos". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  15. ^ "Westfield". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  16. ^ "'CLASSROOM CAPERS'". Alastair Fleming Associates. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  17. ^ "That Wascally Wabbit". Archived from the original on March 17, 2012. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  18. ^ "The Day I Met Bugs Bunny". Ian Heydon. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  19. ^ "Looney Tunes Christmas Carols". K-Zone. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  20. ^ "Carols by Candlelight". National Boys Choir of Australia. December 24, 2013. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  21. ^ "Keith Scott: Down Under's Voice Over Marvel". Animation World Network. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  22. ^ "Keith Scott". Grace Gibson Shop. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  23. ^ "Keith Scott-"The One-Man Crowd"". Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  24. ^ "Rover Finds Life On Mars". YouTube. August 10, 2012. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
  25. ^ Monger, James. "A Looney Tunes Sing-A-Long Christmas". AllMusic. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
  26. ^ Eric Bauza Voice Demo Reel 2013, February 14, 2013, retrieved March 22, 2024
  27. ^ "Converse". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  28. ^ "Ani-Mayhem". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  29. ^ "Bugs & Daffy's Thanksgiving Road Trip". Spotify. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  30. ^ "Marvin the Martian is coming to MultiVersus today". Video Games Chronicle. November 21, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  31. ^ Dar, Taimur (April 17, 2023). "Marvin the Martian and more Looney Tunes to appear in new episodes of BUGS BUNNY BUILDERS". Comics Beat. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  32. ^ "I don't often voice video games... but when I do... PINBALL MACHINE!!!". Twitter. @Bauza. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  33. ^ ""The leaked plot of Coyote vs. ACME confirms that Marvin the Martian appears at the end, where he becomes the new Head of Animated Products Development of the ACME Corporation."". X. Retrieved October 18, 2024.
  34. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "AT&T Launches Looney Tunes 5G Experience". YouTube. AT&T. October 27, 2020. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  35. ^ "Looney Tunes 5G Experience is now open to limited access at the AT&T Experience Store in Dallas". Twitter. @Bauza. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  36. ^ "Are you talking to me? Azure AI brings iconic characters to life with Custom Neural Voice". The Official Microsoft Blog. February 3, 2021. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  37. ^ "Microsoft Azure AI is Bringing Iconic Characters to Life with the Help of Custom Neural Voice and 5G Network". MarkTechPost. February 14, 2021. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  38. ^ a b "Voice(s) of Marvin the Martian in Mad". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  39. ^ Differences of opinion exist regarding the correct pronunciation; Chuck Jones rendered the modulator's name as Q-36 in print in Chuck Amuck : The Life and Times of an Animated Cartoonist (New York: Farrar Straus & Giroux, 1989; ISBN 0-374-12348-9), p. 213.
  40. ^ Adamson, Joe (1990). Bugs Bunny: 50 Years and Only One Grey Hare. Henry Holt. ISBN 0-8050-1855-7
  41. ^ "Marvin The Martian and Daffy Duck as Duck Dodgers Prepare for Upcoming NASA Missions to Mars". SpaceNews. May 2, 2003. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  42. ^ "Mixed Martian Arts". Wikisimpsons. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
  43. ^ "Big Black: Atomizer". Dementlieu.com. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  44. ^ "The 10 Most Important Questions Asked by Tai in 'Clueless'". Thought Catalog. September 14, 2013. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  45. ^ "Photographic image" (PJPG). Welcometonow.files.wordpress.com. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  46. ^ Here Are All the References In Ready Player One, By Abraham Riesman, Mar. 28, 2018, vulture.com
  47. ^ Steven Spielberg's 'Ready Player One' visually striking but emotionally unfulfilling, By Bill Goodykoontz, USA TODAY NETWORK, Mar. 28, 2018
  48. ^ "Xenia Rubinos: las cosas que tararea Marvin The Martian". VICE Magazine. August 8, 2013. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  49. ^ McNary, Dave (July 29, 2008). "WB to develop 'Marvin the Martian'". Variety. Retrieved July 30, 2008.
  50. ^ "'Hong Kong Phooey' Movie Test Footage Revealed; 'Marvin The Martian' As Well (VIDEO)". Huffington Post. December 28, 2012. Retrieved December 28, 2012.
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